February 18, 2017

Near Eastern Studies Department Shows Support through Teach-In on Islam

Nearly 100 participants listened to speakers present on diverse topics regarding the current outlook for practicing Muslims in Trump’s America at Islam Teach-In in the Klarman Atrium on Friday.

The event, which was co-sponsored by the Clark Institute for Law and Development in the Middle East and North Africa, Comparative Muslim Societies, Jewish Studies, and Ottoman and Turkish Studies Initiative, began with a statement from Prof. Deborah Starr, near eastern studies, the event’s moderator.

Starr discussed the role of the teach-in as “just one prong of our response of our opposition to the Muslim Ban,” a controversial executive order banning entry from seven Muslim-majority countries on Jan. 27. She was joined by chair of the Department of Near Eastern Studies Prof. Lauren Monroe.

“We wanted to demonstrate that we stand with the students, faculty and staff who are impacted by the executive order on immigration in the Middle East,” Monroe said. “We also wanted to fulfill what we see as our mandate to educate on the Middle East and to do it by bringing the faculty out of the classroom and into the broader Cornell community.”

The teach-in was held shortly after Cornell joined an amicus brief with 16 other universities on Feb. 13th, declaring support for all affected students and staff on what has been declared a sanctuary campus, The Sun previously reported.

Professors from departments ranging from near eastern studies to performance and media arts presented on topics such as the history of Islam and the present Syrian refugee crisis.

In his discussion of “The Diversity of Islam,” Prof. Eric Tagliacozzo, history, director of the Comparative Muslim Societies Program, emphasized the importance of intersectionality.

“Muslims want the same things as any of the rest of us who may not be Muslim,” he said. “They want a better life, they want safety, health, and happiness for their loved ones, and they want their children to have better opportunities than they themselves have had. They want, in short, what any of us want.”

To Samuel Rabkin ’15, the teach-in went beyond the denouncement of the Trump administration, offering a more constructive solution to participants.

“Events like this are a great opportunity to have a dialogue and to learn more,” he said.

Rabkin, a full-time staff member for the Cornell University Religious Works, emphasized the importance of solidarity with Muslim peers.

“For me, the most important thing is the personal level,” he said. “As a Christian, my goal is to share Christ’s love with everyone, and so, specifically in this context, build friendships with Muslim students, hear people’s perspectives, and show respect throughout.”

For Lena Ransohoff ’17, events like this create “an opportunity to make a powerful statement.”

“Honestly, I am professionally looking into careers that will directly or indirectly improve the situation being discussed,” she said. “I really do want to make a life out of this. The urgency of these issues makes it impossible not to.”

ByHenry KanengiserMarch 24, 2016

This week, the College of Arts and Sciences began accepting faculty, staff and alumni contributions to the Klarman Hall time capsule, which is scheduled to be buried during the formal dedication of Klarman Hall on May 26, according to the University. The capsule — which will be placed between Klarman Hall and Lincoln Hall — intends to encapsulate the way that students learn the humanities, according to Kathy Hovis, University writer for the College of Arts and Sciences
Submissions should answer the question, “If you could talk to a Cornell student 50 years from now, what music, movies, shows, books and art do you love today that you would want to make sure they know about?

Of course there’s no mention that Islam is the only religion in the world founded by a warrior, which may explain its belligerence, especially to non-Muslims & women. Of course there’s not a whisper that every single Muslim country on the planet is oppressive, a kleptocracy, corrupt to the core, incompetent and distinctly undemocratic (including Turkey and Indonesia) Of course there’s no mention of the deep, historic ties between Arab Muslim nationalism and the 3rd Reich, e.g., the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, al-Husseini, & Obama & Hillary’s darling, the Muslim Brotherhood. Of course there’s no mention that the single ideology uncompromisingly devoted to destroying the US and western civilization is Islam. No, identity politics require thorough suppression of truth. And the Sun (Hu, Glass, Kim & Chu) does nothing if not obey Big Brother correctness. Pray tell, has there been a similar “teach-in” (read indoctrination) about Judaism? Not a word of protest from all the NY Jews at Cornell? Are they sheep?

Arafat

Lauren Moore writes, “Muslims want the same things as any of the rest of us who may not be Muslim,” he said. “They want a better life, they want safety, health, and happiness for their loved ones, and they want their children to have better opportunities than they themselves have had. They want, in short, what any of us want.”

Yeah…right.

And mostly they want Sharia law a law that is fundamentally prejudicial, cruel and base.

Did you know that many Muslim countries refuse to sign the UN Declaration of Human Rights because Muslims do not believe in equality of Muslims and infidels. Muslims are, in their eyes, superior to all infidels. So what did are Muslim friends do? They crafted the Cairo Declaration instead, and the Cairo Declaration declares Sharia law to rule over all of us. Little problem…Sharia law would judge me as inferior to Muslims.

Does he not even study what he talks about? Is he seriously a professor? The history of Islam is the history of ethnic cleansing. Islam killed 70 million Hindus in their relentless jihad against southern Asia. No one knows how many Buddhists they killed in this relentless campaign. Muslims killed off the Christians and Jews and Zoroastrians of the Arabian Peninsula. They killed off the Berbers of North Africa and have all but killed off the Copts, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Armenians and are currently working on the Jews and Bahia too.

Aren’t professors supposed to be examples, supposed to learn before they speak?